HR Manager (Standalone) in City of London

We are partnering with a successful international energy trading organisation to recruit a standalone HR professional to support its London office. This is a unique opportunity to take ownership of the HR function within a close-knit office environment of approximately 35–40 employees. The successful candidate will enjoy significant autonomy, working closely with local leadership and international colleagues while having the opportunity to shape and enhance HR processes, policies and the overall employee experience. The role would suit someone who thrives in a standalone environment, enjoys variety and is motivated by the opportunity to make a tangible impact.

Working as the primary HR contact for the London office, you will have responsibility for delivering a comprehensive HR service locally, while collaborating with the wider global HR function to ensure alignment with broader business objectives. This is a broad and varied role covering the full employee lifecycle, including employee relations, policy development, payroll, benefits, contracts, compliance and HR projects. The successful candidate will be proactive, commercially minded, independent and confident in identifying improvements, mitigating risk and implementing HR best practice across the business.

• Act as the primary HR contact for the London office, providing day-to-day HR support across the business.
• Partner with senior stakeholders to provide commercially focused HR advice, supporting informed decision-making across the business.
• Identify people-related risks and proactively develop mitigation plans, ensuring potential issues are addressed before they impact the business.
• Lead and support HR projects and initiatives that strengthen governance, improve employee engagement and reduce organisational risk.
• Provide guidance to managers on employment legislation, HR best practice and risk management, ensuring a consistent and compliant approach across the business.
• Manage the full employee lifecycle, including onboarding, contracts, probation, performance management and offboarding.
• Maintain, review and update HR policies, procedures and employee handbooks, ensuring compliance with current UK employment legislation.
• Lead and manage employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance and absence management processes.
• Coordinate and oversee the monthly payroll process, working alongside external payroll providers where applicable.
• Administer employee benefits and support annual renewals and benefit-related queries.
• Ensure HR records and employee documentation are maintained accurately and confidentially.
• Support recruitment activities, working with hiring managers and external recruitment partners.
• Ensure compliance with UK employment legislation and internal governance requirements.
• Produce HR reports and maintain accurate employee data where required.
• Build strong working relationships with the international HR function, ensuring alignment with global policies whilst supporting local business requirements.
• Identify opportunities to improve HR processes, documentation and operational efficiency.
• Contribute to the development of a positive, high-performance culture by balancing commercial objectives with employee wellbeing and regulatory compliance.

The successful candidate will be an experienced HR professional who is comfortable working autonomously and managing a broad HR remit within a fast-paced commercial environment. You will demonstrate:

• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Experience advising senior stakeholders on HR strategy, employee relations and organisational risk.
• A proactive approach to identifying risks and implementing practical, commercially focused HR solutions.
• Experience managing employee relations cases from start to finish.
• Exposure to payroll and employee benefits administration.
• Experience developing and maintaining HR policies, procedures and employee handbooks.
• Excellent organisational skills with strong attention to detail.
• The ability to prioritise a varied workload and work independently.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the confidence to influence and build relationships at all levels of the business.
• A proactive mindset with a focus on continuous improvement and delivering best practice.
• HR experience gained within a commodity trading, energy trading or wider financial markets environment would be highly beneficial.
• CIPD qualification (or working towards) would be advantageous but is not essential.